Hairstylist Karim Belghiran designed Cult Gaia's spring/summer 2027 show around hair that comes around "twice a year" — the effortless good hair day. He calls the concept the "Rom-Com Ponytail": loose, knotted ponytails built to look like a main character in a romance book.

"A dream girl having the day of her dreams," Belghiran said of the brief behind the look. "You wake up and everything feels effortless and flawless."

The style appeared in two versions on the runway. "One is a straight infinity knot with no tension," Belghiran explained. The second version is more fanciful, framed by tousled waves — the kind of hair a rom-com love interest such as Andie Anderson or Anna Scott would step out in.

The timing tracks beyond the runway. Lili Reinhart is channeling iconic rom-com characters on the press tour for her newest film, The Love Hypothesis, and wearing similarly tousled hairstyles.

What drove the makeup?

Makeup artist Raoul Alejandre pushed the same lovergirl energy into complexion. His inspiration was explicit and, as he describes it, post-vacation and post-intimacy.

"The makeup is inspired by rolling around in the sheets with a lover in the south of Europe or a tropical place," Alejandre said. "That tan has been building up throughout the week. It's turned a little freckle-y in some instances."

To get there, Alejandre settled on berry-toned cheeks — deliberately calibrated so they read warm rather than pink. The result is what trend watchers are already calling afterglow blush: color placed flush across the cheeks as if it came from within.

How to wear the look this fall

The formula from Cult Gaia translates into a short checklist:

• Keep tension out of the hair. The infinity knot works because it looks unforced — nothing pulled tight.
• Add tousled waves for the softer, second version of the ponytail.
• Go berry, not pink, on the cheeks. Alejandre avoided overly pink tones in favor of berry.
• Put blush everywhere and lean into whimsy, per the season's mood.

The direction is consistent: this fall is about romance on the face and ease in the hair. The undone ponytail replaces polished styling; the berry flush replaces sculpted contour.

Belghiran's own pitch for the look doubles as the takeaway: "You'll feel so good that you're almost about to fly."